Sweated Labour in St Luke's

by the St Luke's Heritage Group for Futures Past

Sweated trades - St Luke’s Road - Women’s Clothiers 1871-1881

Milliners, bootmakers, tailoresses, dress-makers, seamstresses, staymakers, knicker-makers, gloves, coats, shirts, chemises, petticoats.

Clothing manufacturing in and around Totterdown was one of the 4 cornerstone trades. St Luke’s Road in particular, abounded with lowpaid ‘sweated’ seamstresses working long hours for a pittance to help make ends meet. The overwhelming majority were women working from home, many beginning their working lives as young children.

1871 Census - Residents of St Luke’s Road involved in Sweated Trades 4 Louise Hampton – Seamstress

Eliza Heale – Seamstress

7 Sarah Lucas – Seamstress

8 Katherine Waters - Seamstress

12 Anne Duckett - Dressmaker

Edward Lander – Shoemaker

John Collins - Shoemaker

Harriett Collins – Seamstress

Alfred Richards - Shoemaker

16 Selina Mager - Tailoress

17 Matilda Read - Dressmaker

18 Emily Stuggins - Tailoress

20 James England - Shoemaker

Eliza England - Dressmaker

Lucy Phillpott - Tailoress

Elizabeth Watts – Tailoress

21 Emma Souch – Tailoress Machinist

Mary Blackmore - Stay Maker

(23 – 56 not yet built)

63 Charles Avon - Shoemaker

71 Mary Colman - Dressmaker

72 Clara Clark - Milliner

73 Mary Brookman - Tailoress

Frances Brookman – Stay Maker

76 Mary Cox – Dressmaker (79 onwards not yet built)

St Luke's Heritage Group working with Sophie Evans and Nikki Sutton from the Central Library and Dr Laura Harrison, Professor of Modern History UWE, as part of research for the St Luke's Women's Group. (Picture: John, Nikki, Laura)

1881 Census - Residents of St Luke’s Road involved in Sweated Trades

2 Walter Hodge – Stay Cutter

7 Margaret A Herring - Tailoress 12 Elizabeth Livingstone - Tailoress

20 Simion Marsh – Stay Cutter

26 Amelia Taunton - Tailoress

Elizabeth Taunton - Tailoress

27 Mary Jane Ford - Dressmaker

Charlotte J Ford – Hat Trimmer

28 Elizabeth A Edwards - Tailoress

29 Elizabeth Perry - Dressmaker

31 Jane Hale – Tailoress

32 Thomas Packidge – Boot Finisher

40 John Morgan – Tailor and Cutter

Margaret James – Underclothing

47 Charlotte Roger - Tailoress

48 Hannah Cannock - Tailoress

Henry Harkhorn – Boot Maker

Alice Harkhorn - Dressmaker

49 Ada Pearce - Dressmaker

54 Emma Webber - Dressmaker

Hortense Webber – Dressmaker

56 Mary A Passmore – Dressmaker

Mrs Lyons – Knicker Maker

59 Mary A Chamberlain – Stay Maker

72 Caroline Collins – Dressmaker

Sylvie Collins - Dressmaker

73 Agnes Batchelor - Milliner

75 Anne Holbrook - Seamstress

Henriette Burns - Seamstress

77 James English - Cordwainer

78 Elizabeth Ford - Dressmaker

79 Henry Hill - Shoemaker

84 Annie Packer – Stay Maker

Catherine Johns – Stay Maker

85 Georgina K Tucker - Dressmaker

90 Catherine Ingles - Dressmaker

Lillian Ingles – Dressmaker’s Apprentice

92 Charles Hayles – Stay Maker

93 Selina Blookman - Dressmaker

95 May Feltman - Dressmaker

103 Mary Nash - Dressmaker

105 Florence C Champion - Seamstress

107 Sarah Gillard - Dressmaker

110 George L Cottle – Silk Hat Finnisher

Mary A Cottle – Umbrella Maker

116 Elise Abindour - Milliner

124 Emily Harding - Tailoress

128 Lucy Jones - Dressmaker

133 Minnie Waters - Dressmaker

134 Arthur Angill - Bootmaker Master

Alfred Angill - Bootmaker